Mission San Juan Bautista

San Juan Bautista is the only "three aisle" California Mission. It is the largest of all of the California Missions.

This is the Mission where Kim Novak fell to her death in the movie "Vertigo," not once, but twice.

The famous bell tower, which James Stewart and Kim Novak climbed in the movie never existed. San Juan Bautista has a campanero, but no tower. Alfred Hitchcock did some very creative film editing and splicing to create that scene.


Hitchcock wanted to use this mission because it is co-located with the California State Park at San Juan Bautista. The hotel, and stables across the street were perfect for creating an early California Scene in Madeline Elster's remberances. The coroners inquest in the movie was held in the old hotel across the street from the mission.